Garment bagging machine



March 20, 1962 Filed Aug. 9, 1957 F. A. STUHLMAN 3,025,649

GARMENT BAGGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

//v VEN TOR. FRANK A. STUHLMAN March 20, 1962 F. A. STUHLMAN v GARMENT BAGGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lA 'll EN TOR.

FRANK A. STUHLMAN BY March 20, 1962 F. A. STUHLMAN 3,025,649

GARMENT BAGGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. FRANK A. STUHLMAN FH E.

March 1962 F. A. STUHLMAN 3,025,649

GARMENT BAGGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f gtl2' I Q: 1 /z2 24 '--CUT OFF W\TH I g] INVENTOR.

FRANK A. STUHLMAN 3,025,649 GARMENT BAGGING MACHINE Frank A. Stnhlman, Elgin, Ill., assignor to E-Z Packaging Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 9, 1957, Ser. No. 677,267 Claims. (Cl. 53-256) This invention relates to a garment bagging machine and more particularly, to a garment bagging machine provided with an automatic bag-forming mechanism.

Garment bagging machines have been devised in which the end portion of a roll of paper tubing is drawn over a garment and then is manually cut and folded in order to form a protective garment bag which corresponds to the length of the garment inside. These machines have proven very useful in laundry and dry cleaning establishments where the cleaned garments have to be bagged to prevent them from becoming soiled before they are returned to the customer. A serious difliculty with bagging machines heretofore used was that the bag-forming operation was not completely automatic. had to operate the machine and then manually finish forming the garment bag. This was objectionably time consuming and expensive, and it would be desirable to have a machine that could do all the necessary bagforming operations automatically. These operations involved cutting the paper tubing to the required size, folding triangular-shaped sections at one end to form the downwardly sloping garment bag shoulders, providing an opening at the apex of these shoulders, and then fastening these folded sections to the main body of the garment bag by stapling or by gluing. This is a relatively complicated series of operations, and a machine that could do all of them automatically would be too costly to be practical.

Another objection to the bagging machines previously used was that the garment bags were formed from opaque paper. It is evident that a transparent material would be more desirable both from the standpoint of the laundry or dry cleaning establishment and from the standpoint of the customer. In the laundry, such transparent garment bags would be useful when the identification tags on the garment are misplaced because it would make it much easier to sort out or find the garments in question. In the home, the transparent garment bag would make it more convenient to identify the garments inside without destroying or damaging the garment bags and thereby sacrificing their dirt-protecting quality. Obviously, such transparent garment bags would provide a very attractive sales feature to the laundry or the dry cleaning establishment which could provide them.

In line with these considerations, conventional or ready made garment bags have been provided with transparent windows. These bags were objectionable because they were expensive and because they came in a restricted number of lengths. Since garments come in all sizes, there is a considerable waste of material in using them. In addition, there is the added inconvenience of storing and stocking the different sized bags until they are to be used.

It is evident that the most desirable solution would be to form the garment bags from rolls of transparent tubing, as has been done with paper. Until now, the chief obstacle to this has been that the transparent materials available were too expensive or they were too hard to work with when employing the above-mentioned conventional bag-forming operations. This was due to their tendency to tear when stapled and their resistance to gluing. What is needed, therefore, is a simple machine which can automatically make these garment bags from transparent material.

nite rates atent An employee ice The machine constructed according to this invention, accomplishes this by taking advantage of the transparent thermoplastic property of certain materials such as polyethylene. When a narrow blade heated between 300 F. and 350 F. is pressed against polyethylene tubing, the tubing is cut, and the sheets of polyethylene at the edges of the out are fused together. This suggested both a method of making garment bags, and this garment bagging machine, in which the previously complicated folding and stapling operations are eliminated by using polyethylene tubing, and the shoulder portions of the garment bag are formed by pressing hot blades against it to both cut the tubing and seal the portions of the tubing adjacent the cut in one simple operation.

One object of this invention is to devise a garment bagging machine which can form the garment bag without resort to stapling or gluing.

Yet another object of this invention is to devise a garment bagging machine which simultaneously cuts and seals portions of the garment bag.

Another object of this invention is to devise a garment bagging machine which is very inexpensive to make and easy to use.

Still another object of this invention is to make a garment bag entirely from a single material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a garment bag formed entirely from a transparent thermoplastic material.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a garment bag formed entirely from transparent polyethylene tubing.

These and other objects will become more apparent when read in the light of the accompanying drawings and specification wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation-a1 view of the garment bagging machine with a portion of the platen removed;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the garment bagging machine with the platen in an elevated position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the garment bagging machine with the platen in a work-engaging position;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the garment bagging machine with the pedestal removed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front sectional view of the garment bagging machine with the pedestal removed, with the platen in an elevated position, and with one of the heating and cutting devices removed;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cutting and sealing device in the bagging machine;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the cutting and sealing device;

FIG. 8 is an end view of the cutting and sealing device;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 9, but with the platen in work-engaging position;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a completed garment bag showing in dotted lines where the polyethylene tubing was cut and sealed;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a segment of the cutter blade; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic elevational view showing a modification in the sheet feed for the machine.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the garment bagging machine indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 comprises a vertically upstanding base or pedestal portion indicated generally by the reference numeral 12 and an attached head portion indicated generally by the reference numeral 14. The head portion comprises spaced parallel vertical side frame members 16, and these are rigidly connected to the opposite ends of an arcuate guide member 18 and to the ends of a reinforcing rod 20. Spaced parallel and resilient retaining fingers 22 are secured at one end to the reinforcing rod 20 by any conventional means (not shown), and these are spring biased into engagement with the arcuate guide member 18, see FIG. 2. These retaining fingers are adapted to hold the polyethylene tubing on the arcuate guide member and prevent it from falling off the machine.

A rectangular supporting framework indicated generally by the reference numeral 24 is rigidly secured to the side frame members 16 by any conventional means. This supporting framework is vertically positioned, and

is provided with spaced parallel pedestal clamping mem-' bers 26 which are rigidly secured to it at its upper and lower sides, see FIG. 2. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 9, spaced parallel guide plates 28 and 30 are secured to the upper or top side 25 of the supporting framework. These guide plates extend substantially the entire width of the machine for purposes to be described below. The supporting framework 24 is also provided with an integrally attached, medially positioned support member 32 which is parallel to the end members 27, see FIG. 1. In addition, a pair of integrally attached, diagonally extending clamp and support members 34 are secured at one end to the lower part of these end members. These clamp and support members incline upwardly in the plane of the supporting framework into engagement with the centrally positioned support member 32 at its upper portion 33 and they are disposed at about the same obtuse angle with respect to each other as the shoulder portions on the completed garment bag. Spaced parallel upstanding lugs 36 are mounted on the members 34, and clamping bolts 38 are in threaded engagement with these lugs. These bolts are adjustably positioned on the lugs in facing relationship and are parallel to the surface of the clamp and support members, see FIG. 5.

A pair of heated cutting and sealing devices, indicated generally by the reference numeral 40, are adapted to be mounted on the diagonally extending clamp and supporting members. These devices, as seen in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, comprise spaced parallel pairs of stepped, channelshaped support members 42. The outer channel portion 46 is provided with side blocks 46a and with a rear block 46b ofinsulating material to insulate cutting and sealing blades 48 having a rearward end portion 48a received in fitting relationship between the blocks of insulation material. Thus, the insulating blocks support the blade in the channel member and in sealing relation therewith. Also mounted within the insulated space and in side-byside contacting relationship with the blade 48 is a heating plate 48b having a cord 48c for connecting the resistance heating element to a source for the supply of current. The temperature to which the cutting blade 48 is heated can be regulated by means of a conventional thermal switch 50 which is fixed in contact with the face of the blade opposite the heating element.

The upper edges of the stepped, channel-shaped support members 42 are attached by conventional means to elongated, substantially U-shaped retaining members 52, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Supported by the U- shaped retaining members are opposed pairs of elongate sheets 54 of resilient material which extend in the direction toward each other for a distance to provide a narrow slotted portion in between in alignment with the blade 48 to enable the blade to be projected therebetween into engagement with a plastic tube to effect cutoff, as will hereinafter be described. The stripper plates 54 are intended to conceal the forward edge of the heated blade 48 in a manner to function simultaneously as a stripper in separating the blade from its resilient platen and also as a. means for protecting the blade and for preventing contact with the hot blade in use. As seen in FIGS. and 10, the lowest channel portion 46 of the support member 42 is adapted to be positioned and clamped between the lugs 36 and the clamping bolts 38 on the clamp and support members 34, with the work-contacting edges 49 of the blades 48 in spaced parallel relation therewith.

In position of use, the blades 48 extend angularly upwardly from the outer edges at an angle corresponding to the slope of the shoulder-supporting portion of the garment hanger. I The inner edges 49a of the opposite blades terminate short of the center and are slightly up-turned at their inner edges to effect a cutoff with a central tubular portion extending upwardly about the center rod of the hanger, thereby to afford greater protection for the garment while simultaneously providing a better sealing relationship.

As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, a press or platen indicated generally by the reference numeral 56 comprises a top horizontal bar 58 which is slotted at 59. The'bar 58 is parallel to the top side 25 of the supporting framework 24 and includes integrally attached perpendicular side members 60, see FIG. 5. Diagonal support members 62 are rigidly connected to the lower ends of the side members 60 and extend upwardly toward the central portion of the horizontal bar 58 where they are integrally secured to the reinforcing member 64. These support members are positioned to coincide with the shoulder-forming support and clamp members 34 when the platen is in workengaging position. As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, spaced parallel blade-supporting strips 61, of resilient sponge rubber, are integrally secured to the opposite sides of slot 59 on the inner surface of the horizontal bar 58, and additional resilient sponge rubber strips 63 are secured to the inner surfaces of the diagonal support members 62 for purposes to become apparent below.

The entire platen is pivotally connected to the spaced frame members 16 by means of spaced parallel upwardly projecting cars 66 which are rigidly secured to the horizontal bar 58 adjacent its ends, see FIG. 5. A horizontally positioned pivot rod 68 having an enlarged mounting head 70 is rigidly secured to each of these upwardly projecting ears by any conventional means, such as welding. These. pivot rods 68 extend outwardly in opposite directions and pass through a bearing '72 and an aperture 74 formed in the side frame members 16, see FIGS. 1 and 5. Coil springs 76 are mounted on the portions of the pivot rods 68 which extend through each of the frame members. One end of each coil spring bears against the side of the horizontal bar 58, and the other end bears against the edge of the side frame member 16 to exert a biasing force on the platen which tends to move it to its elevated position, see FIG. 2.

An actuating mechanism is provided to move the platen 56 from its elevated position shown in FIG. 2 to its workengaging position shown in FIG. 3. This actuating mechanism comprises an endless cam guide track indicated generally by the reference numeral 78. Cam guide tracks are secured to opposite sides of the platen 56 by fastening screws 57. A roller wheel or cam follower 80, see FIGS. 3 and 5,, rides in each track. This roller wheel is rotatably secured to one end of an actuating lever 84 and to the end 81 of a handle 82. The opposite end of the actuating lever, as seen in FIG. 1, is rigidly secured to one end of an actuating rod or shaft 86. This shaft is polyconal or curvilinear in cross section and its ends rotatably penetrate the lower sides of both frame members 16 so that the end of the actuating lever 84 pivots or rotates on its axis, see FIG. 2. With this arrangement, rotating the handle and actuating lever in one direction will cause the shaft 86 to rotate in the same direction and will move the roller wheel through the first or platen-actuating portion 88 of the cam guide track. This portion of the'cam guide track, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, extends downwardly. and outwardly from the head portion 14 so when the roller wheel 80 is forced through that portion while the actuating lever 84 is pivoting on the axis of shaft 86, it exerts a force on the platen which pivots it away from its elevated position and moves it toward closed or its work-engaging position. Continued rotation of the actuating lever 84 moves the roller wheel through a portion 90 of the cam guide track which is curvilinear with the shaft 86 as its center so as to achieve a holding action with a minimum movement of the platen for the short period of time that it takes the roller to traverse this section. This time-delay portion is continuous with the end of the platen-actuating portion 88 and curves back toward the head 14 on the arcuate path described. As the roller moves through this portion of the cam guide track, it exerts suflicient force on the platen to cause it to dwell for a short time in the work-engaging position for purposes to be described below. The hold portion 90 is followed by a rearwardly and downwardly inclined portion 91, referred to as a jumpaway portion, which enables the platen to be retracted quickly to disengage the hot blade from the cushioning material 63 to prevent burning. A platen-return portion 92 on the cam guide track extends upwardly from the end of the jump-away portion in a direction parallel to the platen side member 60. This portion terminates at the beginning of the platen-actuating portion 88, providing a continuous or endless cam guide track. After the roller wheel 80 enters this portion, a reversal of the direction of rotation of the actuating lever 84 causes the platen to move back to its elevated position. An additional actuating lever identical with lever 84 is rigidly secured to the opposite end of the actuating rod 86.

This actuating lever is connected to a handle identical with handle 82. A roller wheel connected to this handle rides on a cam guide plate 79 which is identical in its peripheral shape to the cam guide track 78. This structure permits the garment bagging machine to be operated from either side, see FIG. 4. Instead, the roller on the opposite end can be used in combination with a face plate for maintaining a desired stability without repeating the cam guide track. Lip 92a or offset is provided at the starting portion of the groove for stabilizing the roller and platen in position of rest.

Spaced parallel actuating arms 94 are rigidly secured at one end to the actuating rod 86 and are rotatable therewith. The free end of each arm 94 is provided with an actuating block 96 and means for relative endwise adjustment of the block crosswise of the arm to vary the anvil end portion aligned in position to engage a cutter blade for displacement thereof to effect severance of the plastic tube. For this purpose, the block 96 is formed with an elongate slot 96a through which a set screw 94a is adapted to extend into engagement with the arm 94 to secure the block in the desired position of adjustment. An outwardly projecting stud 98 is rigidly secured to each arm 94, and this stud is connected to one end of a coil spring 100. The opposite end of this coil spring is connected to the sides of the rectangular supporting framework 24 at stud 102, see FIG. 2. This structure tends to rotate the rod 86 in the clockwise direction, and this acts to bias the platen back to its elevated position when the roller wheel is in the platen-return portion 92 of the cam guide track. All these biasing forces acting on the platen counterbalance it and make it easy to operate.

A cutter blade 104 with a serrated cutting edge 106 is reciprocably positioned between the parallel guide plates 28 and 30, see FIG. 9. The arms 94 are so positioned on the rod 86 that when the actuating lever 84 rotates the actuating shaft 86 and causes the platen to move to its work-engaging position, the block 96 on the free end of the arms 94 rotates into engagement with the rear end 108 of the cutter blade 104 to effect displacement thereof forwardly into cutting position with its serrated cutting edge moving into the slot 59 of the horizontal bar 58, see FIG. 10. A spring support rod 110 is secured to the frame member 24 at 114 by means of mounting arms 112, see FIGS. 4 and 9. Coil springs 116 are secured at one end to the outer end of these mounting arms and at the other end to the rear end 108 of the cutter blade 104. With this arrangement, when the rod or shaft 86 reverses its direction of rotation and moves the block 96 away from the cutter blade 104, the spring tension exerted by the springs 116 on the cutter blade urges the blade to be returned from cutting position and its normal position, see FIG. 10. To prevent these coil springs from moving the cutter blade completely out from between the guide plates 28 and 30, spaced parallel, substantially Z-shaped stop members 118 are mounted adjacent the ends of the cutter blade. These stop members, as seen in FIG. 9, are secured to frame 24 by means of a bolt 120, and their free ends 121 project upwardly into the plane of the path of the cutter blade 104 to stop its backward movement. It is noted that the actuating mechanism described performs two functions by a single movement of the actuating lever 84; it simultaneously cuts and seals the shoulder portions of the garment bag, and it separates the completed garment bag from the remainder of the polyethylene roll.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the cutter blade is essentially formed with teeth 106 which terminate in sharp points 10411 at their forward edges, and sharp points 1040 at their rearward meeting edges. Such sharp points are desirable to pierce the plastic in achieving a cutoff action. In the event that the leading edges are rounded instead of sharp, the plastic material will tend to stretch rather than be pierced and cut, with the result that separation will not be effected.

The cutting blade is adapted to be positioned for separation at a level corresponding to the upper end portion of the heated blades, so that cutoff will be effected in a line to meet the cutoff effected by the heating plates to separate the sealed portion of the bag from the remainder, leaving a triangularly shaped portion corresponding to the space between the cutoff knife and the inclined cutoff blades. These portions will usually cling to the garment-covering portion, and can easily be removed therefrom.

The polyethylene 122 in tubular form is rolled onto a shaft 124, which is in turn rotatably mounted in supporting bearings 126 at the base of the pedestal portion 12, see FIG. 2. The free end of this polyethylene is passed over the rods 110, which hold the tube out of contact with other parts of the machine. From the rod the tube passes over the arc'uate guide member 18 between the spring-biased retaining fingers 22 which act to keep it against the guide member. Then the tubing passes downwardly substantially parallel to the plane of the rectangular supporting framework and over the clothing stand 128, see FIG. 2.

In operation, the cutting and sealing blade is heated to a temperature between 300 and 350 P. Then a garment with a garment hanger inside is suspended from a hook 127 on the vertically positioned clothing stand 128 on the pedestal 12. The free end of the polyethylene tubing is drawn over the garment to a distance from the bottom of the garment substantially equal to the distance of the cutter blade 104 to the hook 127. After this, the handle 82 is rotated and the roller or cam follower is forced through the cam guide track '78, moving the platen 56 into work-engaging position against the rectangular supporting framework 24, see FIG. 3. As this happens, the sponge rubber 63 presses the polyethylene tubing against the edges of the space parallel stripper guide plates 28 and 30 and against the edge 49 of the heated sealing blades 48. The soft, resilient qualities of the sponge rubber strips permit pressure to be exerted on the tubing without tearing it. As the roller 80 moves through the time-delay mechanism or portion of the cam guide track, the platen holds the polyethylene against the heated cutting and sealing blades long enough for it to cut through the tubing and seal the edges of the out. Since the blades 48 are positioned so they slope at the same angle as the shoulder portion of the finished 7 garment bag 13%, the sealed portions of the tubing form the shoulder portions of the bag.

At about the same time, the cutter blade 104 is engaged by the block 96 to effect forward displacement of the cutter blade and to bring the sharp edges of the serrated blade into contact with the polyethylene backed by the resilient strip 61. The points of the blade pierce the tube to cut the polyethylene crosswise while supported between the resilient members 61 on the platen and the guides 28 and 30 on the frame. This trims off a new bottom for the next bag, and opens the apex 132 of the bag for the upward passage of the suspension hook of a contained garment hanger, see FIG. 11. Finally, when the cam follower or roller 80 enters portion 92 of the cam guide track, the direction of rotation of the actuating lever 84 is reversed. This moves the roller wheel 80 up through portion 92 and returns the platen to its elevated position and moves the actuating arms 9 out of engagement with the cutter blade 104. This permits springs 116 to move the cutter blade back out of slot 59. Then the completed garment bag 130 is moved downwardly on the clothing stand 128 over the garment, until the suspension hook of the garment hanger passes through the apex opening 132, whereupon the bagged garment is removed from the hook.

By way of modification, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the machine may be provided with supports for two rolls 122. and 222 of polyethylene plastic. One roll will be provided with plastic tubing having a width suitable for use with suits, coats, and dresses hung upon a hanger, while the other roll will be provided with a narrow strip of plastic tubing adapted to be used with trousers, shirts, and the like. Where such two rolls are employed, the rod 110 may be provided with an extension 214 for continuing to maintain a separated relation between the tubes as they are guided about the head of the machine. An upper deck 218 may be provided in spaced, superposed relation with the curvilinear ulate 18 to turn the other tube downwardly alongside the front face of the machine for use. One or the other of the described tubes will be employed in operation of the machine selectively depending upon the type of garment to be packaged.

This machine, as described above, creates, as a new article of manufacture, a garment bag formed entirely from transparent polyethylene material. This is significant because no other garment bag previously made has been formed from any single material. At the very least, the conventional paper garment bags are made from a combination of paper and staples, or paper and glue, and, when these fasteners run short, the garment bags cannot be made. Since this garment bagging machine does not require these auxiliary materials, it will never be stopped by a shortage of them. So, as long as there is a supply of polyethylene tubing, the bagging machine will operate.

The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof a set forth in the claims, and the present embodiment is therefore to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and it is intended to include all changes which come within the scope and range of the claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described for forming garment bags from a quantity of flattened heat sealing, flexible tubing, comprising a fixed portion and a movably connected portion, means for mounting a roll of such tubing in position whereby said tubing is adapted to move between said portions, at least one heated cutting and sealing blade mounted on said fixer portion for engagement with said flattened tubing, a blade-receiving and supporting surface mounted on the other of said portions opposite said heated cutting and sealing blade, said movable portion comprising a platen, means connected to said platen to reciprocably move it into pressing engagement with said fixed portion to clamp said flattened tubing therebetween and to cause said heated cutting and sealing blade to engage said tubing and force it against the blade-receiving and supporting surface, said means including a time delay mechanism operative by said platen-mov-ing means to keep said platen in pressing engagement with said fixed portion and said heated cutting and sealing blade in engagement with said flattened tubing long enough to permit the heated cutting and sealing blade to cut through the tubing and seal the edges of the cut to form the shoulder portions of the garment bag, cutting means connected to one of said portions, said cutting means adapted to cut the garment bag away from the remainder of the quantity of the tubing and a garment hanger support below said blade in position whereby a garment hung on said support may receive thereover the end portion of said tubing before the garment bag is cut from the remainder of the roll.

2. An apparatus of the class described for forming garment bags from a roll of flattened heat sealing, flexible tubing, comprising a fixed support and a platen, the free end of said flattened tubing movable therebetween, said fixed support comprising spaced parallel elongated side frame members, a supporting framework, the ends of said supporting framework rigidly connected to said side frame members, a pair of heated cutting and sealing blades mounted on said supporting framework for engagement with said flattened tubing, the work-contacting edges of said pair of heated cutting and sealing blades in a common plane parallel to said supporting framework and disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, resilient blade-receiving and supporting surfaces mounted on said platen opposite to the heated cutting and sealing blades, said platen pivotally connected to one end of said side frame members, a cam guide member mounted on at least one side of said platen, an actuating lever pivotally connected at one end to said side frame members and at the opposite end to a cam follower, said cam follower in engagement with said cam guide member, said cam guide member comprising at least a platen-actuating portion and a time delay portion, said platen-actuating portion shaped to pivot said platen into pressing engagement with said supporting framework whenever said actuating lever is pivotally rotated in one direction, said engagement clamping said tubing therebetween and causing the work-contacting edges of said heated cutting and sealing blades to engage the tubing and force it against the blade-receiving and supporting surfaces of the platen, said time delay portion shaped to correspond to the path followed by the cam follower on the end of the actuating lever so that the platen is held in pressing engagement with said supporting framework while the cam follower moves through said time delay portion of said cam guide member, the duration of said pressing engagement sufficient to permit the workcontac'ting edges of the cutting and sealing blades to cut through the tubing and seal the edges of the cut to form the shoulder portions of the garment bag, and cutting means connected to said fixed support, said cutting means adapted to cut the garment bag away from the remainder of the roll of tubing.

3. An apparatus of the class described for forming garment bags from a roll of flattened heat sealing, flexible tubing, comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion, the free end of said flattened tubing movable therebetween, said fixed portion comprising spaced parallel elongated side frame members, a supporting framework, the ends of said supporting framework rigidly connected to said side frame members, a pair of heated cutting and sealing blades mounted on one of said portions for engagement with said flattened tubing, the work-contacting edges of said pair of heated cutting and sealing blades disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, resilient blade-receiving and supporting surfaces mounted on the other of said portions, said movable portion comprising a platen, said platen pivotally connected to one end of said side frame members, a cam guide member mounted on at least one side of said platen, an actuating lever, said actuating lever rigidly connected to an actuating shaft, said actuating shaft rotatably mounted on said side frame members, a cam follower connected to said actuating lever, said cam follower engaging said cam guide member, said cam guide member comprising at least a platen-actuating portion and a time delay portion, said platen-actuating portion shaped to pivot said platen into pressing engagement with said supporting framework whenever said actuating lever is rotated in one direction on the axis of said actuating shaft, said engagement clamping said tubing therebetween and causing the workcontacting edges of said heated cutting and sealing blades to engage the tubing and force it against the blade-receiving and supporting surfaces on theother of said portions, said time delay portion shaped to correspond to the path followed by the cam follower as the actuating lever rotates so that the platen is held in pressing engagement with the supporting framework while the cam follower moves through said time delay portion of said cam guide member, the duration of said pressing engagement suflicient to permit the work-contacting edges of the cutting and sealing blades to cut through the tubing and seal the edges of the cut to form the shoulder portions of the garment bag, and cutting means movably connected to said fixed support, means connected between said cutting means and said actuating shaft to movably actuate said cutting means to cut the garment bag away from the remainder of the tubing when said platen moves into engagement with said supporting framework.

4. An apparatus of the class described for forming garment bags from a roll of flattened heat sealing, flexible tubing, comprising a fixed support and a platen, the free end of said polyethylene tubing movable therebetween, said fixed support comprising spaced parallel elongated side frame members, a supporting framework, the ends of said supporting framework rigidly connected to said side frame members, a pair of downwardly inclined heated cutting and sealing blades mounted on said supporting framework for engagement with said flattened tubing, the work-contacting edges of said pair of heated cutting and sealing blades in a common plane parallel to said sup porting framework and disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, resilient blade-receiving and supporting strips mounted on said platen opposite to the heated cutting and sealing blades, said platen pivotally connected to one end of said side frame members, a cam guide member mounted on at least one side of said platen, an actuating lever, said actuating lever rigidly connected to an actuating shaft, said actuating shaft rotatably mounted in said side frame members, a cam follower connected to said actuating lever, said cam follower engaging said cam guide member, said cam guide member comprising at least a platen-actuating portion and a time delay portion, said platen actuating portion shaped to pivot said platen into pressing engagement with said supporting framework whenever said actuating lever is rotated in one direction on the axis of said actuating shaft, said engagement clamping said tubing therebetween and causing the work-contacting edges of said heated cutting and sealing blades to engage the tubing and force it against the blade-receiving and supporting surfaces on the platen, said time delay portion shaped to correspond to the path followed by the cam follower as the actuating lever rotates in said one direction so that the platen is held in pressing engagement with the supporting framework while the cam follower moves through said time delay portion of said cam guide member, the duration of said pressing engagement suflicient to permit the workcontacting edges of the cutting and sealing blades to cut through the tubing and seal the edges of the cut to form the shoulder portions of the garment bag, and cutting means movably connected to said fixed support, actuating arms rigidly secured to said actuating shaft and rotatable therewith, each of said actuating arms having a free end,

a A 1O i said free end adapted to rotate into engagement with said cutting means and movably actuate it to cut the garment bag away from the remainder of the tubing when the actuating lever is rotated to cause said platen to move into engagement with said supporting framework.

5. A garment bagging machine comprising in combination, a vertically upstanding pedestal portion and a head portion, spaced bearings mounted at the base of said pedestal portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings, said shaft adapted to support a roll of heat sealing flexible tubing, a vertically upstanding rod mounted on said base, said rod terminating in a hook, said head mounted on said pedestal portion and including spaced parallel vertical side frame members and a pivotally connected platen, an arcuate guide member, the ends of said arcuate guide member rigidly secured to said side frame members, a reinforcing rod connected between said side frame members, spaced parallel resilient retaining fingers secured to said reinforcing rod and biased into engagement with said arcuate guide member, said retaining fingers adapted to hold portions of the tubing in engagement with said arcuate guide member, a substantially rectangular vertically positioned supporting framework, the ends of said supporting framework rigidly connected to said side frame members, the free end of said roll of tubing adapted to be bent around said arcuate guide member and to depend vertically in spaced parallel relation to the plane of the supporting framework, a pair of heated cutting and sealing blades mounted on said supporting framework for engagement with said flattened tubing, said cutting and sealing blades disposed at a slope corresponding to the slope of the shoulder portions of a garment bag, the work-contacting edges of said pair of heated cutting and sealing blades in a common plane parallel to said supporting framework, resilient blade-receiving and supporting strips mounted on said platen, said blade-receiving and supporting strips substantially equal in length to the cutting and sealing blades, an endless vertically disposed cam guide track mounted on one side of said platen, an actuating lever, said actuating lever rigidly connected to an actuating shaft, said actuating shaft rotatably mounted in said side frame members, a handle connected to said actuating lever for rotating it on the axis of said actuating shaft, a cam follower connected to said actuating lever, said cam follower riding in said cam guide track, said cam guide track including a platen-actuating portion, a time delay portion, and a platen return portion, said platen-actuating portion shaped to pivot said platen into pressing engagement with said supporting framework whenever said actuating lever is rotated in one direction on the axis of said actuating shaft, said engagement clamping said tubing therebetween and causing the work-contacting edges of said heated cutting and sealing blades to engage the tubing and force it against the blade-receiving and supporting strips on the platen, said time delay portion shaped to correspond to the path followed by the cam follower as the actuating lever rotates in said one direction so that the platen is held in pressing engagement with said supporting framework while the cam follower moves through said time delay portion of said cam guide member, the duration of said pressing engagement sufiicient to permit the work-contacting edges of the cutting and sealing blade to cut through the tubing and seal the edges of the cut to form the shoulder portions of the garment bag, said platen return portion shaped to pivot said platen away from said supporting framework when said cam follower rides therein while said actuating lever is rotating in a direction opposite to said one direction, means connected to said platen to counterbalance it, spaced parallel horizontally disposed guide members rigidly secured in spaced relation to the top side of said supporting framework, a cutter blade reciprocably movable between said guide members, said cutter blade having a serrated cutting edge, actuating arms rigidly secured to said actuating shaft, said actuating arms having a free end, said free end adapted to rotate into engagement with said cutter blade to move it into cutting engagement with said tubing to cut the garment bag away from the roll when the actuating lever is rotated in said one direction. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,963,666 McCarthy June 19, 1934 10 12 McCarthy May 26, Threeton June 19, Zaloudek Sept. 5, Langer Nov. 6, Abbott Apr. 21, Binnall May 10, Drew et a1. Jan. 31, Hosier Nov. 27, Smith Feb. 19, Crawford Feb. 25, 

